2024-01-29 10:28:40 ¶ ●

In s2e11, Hannibal says he pales in comparison to god, which of course, Hannibal physically cannot create as much destruction as he thinks god is responsible for, and they’re talking about Abigail’s death, and Will is mourning her loss. However she has been kept alive by Hannibal; he wouldn’t kill her. He committed to a different cruelty – testing Will, manipulating him and later meaning to ‘gift’ her to him. Hannibal isn’t being as destructive as he wants to be. He’s holding back, he sees hope in Will. He pales in comparison to his ideal – he could be much worse, he’s just choosing not to be, because he’s human and alone and he wants Will to be his companion.

Of course, he’s making power moves in both cases. He’s playing god and is in control of Will’s life experiences in either case, but in preserving Abigail’s life, he’s allowing partiality towards Will. He wants to posses him and gift him things and tell him “See what we are capable of? We are extraordinary.”